Ventilating apparatus for vehicle bodies



March 17, 1931. w CROWELL VENTILATING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE BODIES Filed Feb. 18, 1929 mxwg F 2 Y I, I!

IQT'TOQA/EKS Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES WILLIAM D. CRO'WELL, OF ST. LOUIfl, MISSOURI VENTILATING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE BODIES Application filed February 18, 1929. Serial No. 340,834.

This invention relates to a ventilating means for vehicle bodies of the general type described in my pending application for Patent Serial No. 321,642, filed November 24,

1928, i. e., a ventilating means that comprises a movable or adjustable closure for an opening in the side wall of the vehicle body, constructed or arranged in such a manner that when it is in a partially open position, an m exhaust slot or opening will be produced through which foul air, gases, smoke and the like will be withdrawn from the interior of the body by the suction created by the air currents which flow rearwardly over the side wall when the vehicle is traveling forwardly.

One object of my present invention is to provide a vehicle ventilating means of the general type mentioned, whose exhaust slot or opening is disposed vertically or substanzo tially so, at the front or forward edge of the adjustable closure of the structure.

Another object is to provide a vehicle body that is equipped with a rearwardly sloping wind shield, and an adjustable closure for an opening in the side wall of the body, constructed in such a manner that it can be arranged in a partially open position to produce an inclined ventilating slot' at the front edge of said closure, through which foul air, gases and the like will be efiectively with drawn from the interior of the bodywithout liability of air entering the body.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational view, illustrating one form of my invention, showing the adjustable closure of the structure arranged in its closed position.

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing said adjustable closure arranged in a partly open position. so as to produce an exhaust slot or ventilating opening.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 33 of Figure 2. 7

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3. illustrating a structure embodying my invention and equipped with a shiftable element that is adapted to be moved into an operative po ition so as to close the space at the top edge of the window when the window is adjusted to produce an exhaust slot.

50 Figure 5 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 3, illustrating still another way of closing the space at the top edge of the window when the window is adjusted to produce an exhaust slot or ventilating opening.

Figure 6 is a side elevational' view, illustrating my invention embodied in a vehicle body provided with a rearward sloping wind shield and a side door whose window is guided or protected only by a vertically-disposed frame member that receives the rear edge port-ion of the window when it is moved upwardly out of the pocket in the door; and c Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 77 of Figure 6.

lVhile I have herein illustrated my present invention embodied in an automobile body of the closed type, I wish it to be understood that the invention is applicable to any type or kind of vehicle body whose side wall is provided with an adjustable closure, which is of such design or construction that when it is arranged in a partially openposition, a vertical or substantially verticallydisposed ventilating slot will be produced at the front edge of said closure through which air. gases and the like will be drawn outwardly by the suction produced by the currents of air which flow rearwardly across said slot when the vehicle is traveling forwardly.

In the accompanying drawings A designates the wind shield of the body. which is of the rearwardly sloping type, and B designates an adjustable closure in the side wall of the body, formed preferably by a window that is adapted to be lowered and raised into and out of a pocket in a side wall door C. which, in the form of my invention shown in Figure 1. is provided with a frame for the window which comprises a rearwardlv sloping front member 1 that contorms to the angle of the wind shield. and a horizontally-disposed top member 2. The window B is provided with a rearwardly sloping front edge 1, and a top edge 2* that is adapted to enter a groove 3 on the underside of the top member 2 of the window frame when the window is in its fully closed position. When the window B is moved downwardlv into a partly open position. as shown in Figure 2. a ventilating slot or exhaust slot :1: will be produced at the inclined front edge 1 of said window through which foul air, gases, smoke and the like will be effectively withdrawn from the interior of the body by the suction produced by the air which strikes against the front side of the wind shield and then flows rearwardly over the side wall of the body across the ventilating slot at. Due to the fact that the slot as is of considerable length and is arranged at the forward edge of the window B, in close proximity to the corner of the wind shield from which the air currents escape rearwardly, a suction of sufficient intensity to maintain the body in a properly ventilated condition will be produced, even though the window is adjusted so as to produce a very narrow slot at.

The air currents that bank against the front side of the wind shield and then escape laterally at the end of the wind shield, have a natural tendency to jump across the exhaust slot 00, and thereafter flow inwardly towards the side wall of the body. In order to prevent such inwardly flowing air currents from ontering the body, means is provided for maintaining' a tight or substantially tight joint at the top edge of the window B when said window is in a partially open position, as shown in Figure 2. The means just referred to can be constructed in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. It can be constructed so as to maintain or produce a tight or substantially tight joint along the entire top edge of the window B when said window is in a partly open position, as shown in Figure 2, or it can be constructed so as to maintain a tight or substantially tight joint throughout'only approximately the rear half of the top edge portion of the window, for as previously stated, the natural tendency of the air currents is to jump the slot 00 and then flow inwardly towards the side wall of the body.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 the groove 3 in the top member 2 which receives the top edge portion of the window B. is made of such a depth that the window B can be moved downwardly sufficiently to produce an exhaust slot m of the required dimensions without completely withdrawing the top edge portion of the window from the groove 3 in the window frame. Instead of having the entire top edge portion of the window positioned in a groove in the top member of the window frame, the window can be provided at its top edge with an extension that is positioned in a groove in the underside of the top member of the window frame when the window is closed or arranged in a partly open position, the front end of said extension terminating at a point far enough to the rear of the front edge of the window to intercept the air currents which flow inwardly towards the side of the body after jumping across the ventilating slot 02.

Instead of providing the top member of the window frame with a groove for receivedge of the window, said element 3 can be.

swung downwardly into its operative position, shown in full lines in Figure 4, so as to close the space between the frame member 2 and the top edge-of the window and thus prevent air from blowing into the vehicle. Said element 3* can either be of the same length as the top edge of the window B, or the front end of said element 3 can terminate at a point considerably to the rear of the front edge of the window.

Figure 5 illustrates still another way of closing the space between the top edge of the window B and the top member 2 of the window frame when the window is adjusted to form a ventilating slot, i. e., by an element 3 that is removably mounted on the top edge portion of the window.

In Figure 6 of the drawings I have illustrated my invention embodied in a vehicle body of the kind that comprises a rearwardly-sloping wind shield A, a side wall door C and a vertically-sliding window B in said door, which, in its raised position, is guided or protected by a vertically-disposed frame member 20 located at the rear edge of the window. The front edge 1 of the window is inclined and conforms to the angle of the wind shield and the to edge portion of the window is adapted to up over a depending part 3 on the roof D of the vehicle body when the window is raised, said depending part 3 being made of such depth that it will serve as a closure between the top edge 2 of the window and the roof D that prevents air from blowing into the body when the window is arranged in its partly open position, so as to produce a ventilating slot as between the inclined front edge of the window and the wind shield. Obviously, the depending part on the roof that is used to intercept the air currents which flow inwardly towards the side wall after passing the ventilating slot w, might be formed by a shiftable element carried by the roof and constructed so that it is capable of being moved into and out of an operative position, as in the form of my invention shown in Fig ure 4, or formed by a removable element of the kind shown in Figure 5, constructed so that when it is mounted in its operative position on the top edge of the window. it will prevent air from blowing into the vehicle over the top edge of the window when the window is adjusted to produce a ventilating slot.

While the various forms of my invention above described, differ from each other in structural details, they all have the same distinguishing characteristics, namely, provision for forming an upright ventilating slot of corrsiderable length at the front or forward I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a vehicle body, the combination of a re'arwardly sloping wind shield, a vertically slidable closure in the side wall of the body provided with an inclined front ed e and V adapted to be moved downwardly slig tly so as to produce a ventilating slot at the front edge of same, and means for preventing air from blowing inwardly over the top edge of said closure when said closure is lowered slightly to produce said ventilating slot.

2. In a vehicle body, the combination of a rearwardly sloping wind shield, a side wall door, a vertically slidable window in said door provided with an inclined front edge that conforms approximately to the angle of the wind shield, said window being adapted to be lowered or moved downwardly slightly to produce a ventilating slot at the front edge of the window, and means that co-operates with the top edge portion of the window to prevent air from blowing into the body when the window is lowered to produce said ventilating slot.

3. In a vehicle body, the combination of a rearwardly sloping wind shield, a side wall door, avertically-slidable window in said door provided with an inclined front edge that conforms approximately to the angle of the wind shield, said window being adapted to be adjusted in a partly open position so as to produce a ventilating slot at the front edge of the window, and a depending part on the roof of the body arranged in overlapping relation with'the top edge portion of the window and proportioned so that when the window is adjusted to produce said ventilating slot, said de ending part will prevent air currents from owing into the body over the top edge of the window.

4. A vehicle body provided in one of its side walls with an opening, a closure for said opening comprising a single glass panel mounted so that it can be moved downwardly to uncover said opening, said closure having slightly to produce said ventilating slot.

a front edge that is adapted to co-act with the front edge of said opening to produce a ventilating slot when said closure is in a partly lowered position, and means for preventing air or the like from blowing inwardly over the top edge of said closure when said closure is lowered slightly to produce said ventilating slot.

5. A vehicle body provided in one of its side walls with an opening having a rearwardly inclined front edge, a closure for said opening having a rearwardly inclined front edge, said closure being adapted to be lowered or moved downwardly slightly so as to produce a ventilating slot between the inclined front edges of said closure and opening, and means for preventing air or the like from blowing into the body over the top edge of said closure when said closure is lowered 6. In a vehicle body, the combination of a side wall, a window frame in said wall, the member at the front edge of said frame being inclined rea-rwardly, a vertically movable window for said frame provided with a rearwardly inclined front edge, said window being adapted to be lowered to produce a ventilating slot between the front edge of same and the front member of said frame, and means for preventing air or the like from blowing into the vehicle over the top edge of said window when said window is lowered to produce said ventilating slot.

WILLIAM D. CROWELL. 

